Florida's First Scheduled Execution of 2026 Targets 1989 Murderer
Ronald Palmer Heath, a 64-year-old man convicted of the brutal 1989 murder of traveling salesman Michael Sheridan, is set to be the first person executed in Florida this year. His lethal injection is scheduled for 6pm at Florida State Prison near Starke, marking the state's initial execution of 2026 after a record-breaking 19 executions in 2025 under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Details of the Heinous Crime
According to court records, in May 1989, Heath and his brother Kenneth met Sheridan at a Gainesville bar. After socializing, the trio agreed to relocate to smoke marijuana. Prosecutors revealed that the brothers then conspired to rob Sheridan. Ronald Heath drove the group to a remote area, where Kenneth Heath brandished a handgun and demanded Sheridan's belongings.
When Sheridan initially resisted, Kenneth Heath shot him in the chest. As Sheridan complied by emptying his pockets, Ronald Heath began viciously assaulting him, kicking and stabbing him with a hunting knife. Kenneth Heath then delivered two fatal gunshots to Sheridan's head.
Aftermath and Legal Proceedings
The brothers disposed of Sheridan's body in a wooded area and returned to the bar to pilfer items from his rental car. The following day, they used Sheridan's credit cards for multiple purchases at a Gainesville mall. Ronald Heath was arrested weeks later in Douglas, Georgia, after investigators traced the stolen cards to him, recovering clothing bought with them and Sheridan's watch.
Heath was convicted in 1990 of first-degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon, and forgery charges. Kenneth Heath also faced murder charges but received a life sentence as part of a plea deal. Recent appeals by Ronald Heath, arguing issues such as mismanaged death penalty protocols and non-unanimous jury recommendations, were denied by the Florida Supreme Court last week, though similar appeals remain pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Broader Context of Executions in Florida
Governor DeSantis oversaw more executions in 2025 than any Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in the U.S. in 1976, surpassing the previous record of eight executions in 2014. Nationally, 47 executions occurred in 2025, with Florida leading at 19, followed by Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas with five each.
Two additional Florida executions are already scheduled: Melvin Trotter, 65, on February 24, and Billy Leon Kearse, 53, on March 3. All executions in the state are conducted via lethal injection using a three-drug combination of a sedative, a paralytic, and a heart-stopping agent, as per Department of Corrections protocols.
